The Down One Bourbon Bar at 321 W. Main Street is one level down from street level and part of the Waterfront Plaza Building. The bar's sign attached to the office building can be seen from the pub's garden.
September 20, 2018 David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal

The Down One Bourbon Bar's brisket chili is made with smoked brisket, onions, beer, ground beef, black beans and spices, and topped with grated cheddar and chopped onions.
September 20, 2018 David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal

The Down One Bourbon Bar's brisket chili is made with smoked brisket, onions, beer, ground beef, black beans and spices, and topped with grated cheddar and chopped onions.
September 20, 2018 David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal

The Down One Bourbon Bar's grilled onion guacamole is made with fresh avocados, grilled onions, jalape–o peppers, cilantro and lime and served with taco chips.
September 20, 2018 David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal

The Down One Bourbon Bar's grilled onion guacamole is made with fresh avocados, grilled onions, jalape–o peppers, cilantro and lime and served with taco chips.
September 20, 2018 David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal

The Down One Bourbon Bar's chocolate brioche bread pudding is made with brioche bread, eggs, cream, sugar, butter and chocolate and served with chocolate shavings and powdered sugar.
September 20, 2018 David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal

The Down One Bourbon Bar's chocolate brioche bread pudding is made with brioche bread, eggs, cream, sugar, butter and chocolate and served with chocolate shavings and powdered sugar.
September 20, 2018 David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal

The Down One Bourbon Bar's chocolate brioche bread pudding is made with brioche bread, eggs, cream, sugar, butter and chocolate and served with chocolate shavings and powdered sugar.
September 20, 2018 David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal

While the basic concept stayed the same, a little bit of innovation allowed Chef Jim Anile and his staff to introduce a new “food truck-esque” menu characterized by elevated southern food.

And while the menu is different, take it seriously: “Warning: These are massive, four-corner, North Carolina-style biscuits." They're not kidding about the way diners dig into any of the four varieties of biscuits Down One Bourbon Bar & Restaurant is slowly making famous in Louisville: smothered brisket, Southern comfort, Hot Brown and P-B-L-T.

“Good luck trying to pick them up and eat them being neat,” said Anile, executive chef of Down One as well as the Galt House Hotel and is also the corporate chef for the Al J. Schneider Co., 401 W. Main St.

“Down One has been here for a long time, so to undertake a huge change in the menu and the overall vibe was a challenge. But we’re moving in the direction we think will be very successful,” he said.

Anile is crazy about Down One’s center-of-it all downtown location, 321 W Main St.

“The patio is a fabulous place to hang out to have a beer or bourbon complemented by the food. Bourbon happens to be one of the reasons people come here but we’re making food be another big reason,” he said. “Those people who come here for a particular experience with bourbon get it, and those who are more interested in the food are just as happy.”

Before moving to Louisville, Anile didn’t fully grasp the hold bourbon has on this city.

“To be honest, I didn’t understand that bourbon would be such a large part of the culture. I’m still soaking that in. It’s great that the bourbon influences other areas, especially in food," he said. "And I think Louisville is fabulous … a good foodie city, lots of energy downtown, lots of festivals and things to do.”

Anile was used to a star-studded working environment, having apprenticed in five-diamond star hotels in Dallas, then in four-diamond star hotels in California. After serving as executive chef at a boutique Italian hotel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he opened his own restaurants in Durham. Once his kids were out of school, he decided to move to Louisville to help take the Galt House in a new direction.

The Down One Bourbon Bar's chocolate brioche bread pudding is made with brioche bread, eggs, cream, sugar, butter and chocolate and served with chocolate shavings and powdered sugar.
September 20, 2018(Photo: David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal)

Personal sacrifices and accommodations come with the territory of being a chef. Anile takes them in stride.

“When we were on the way home from the hospital after our oldest child was born, we had to make a stop at the restaurant where I was working so that I could finish the demiglace,” he said.

At one point, he briefly considered becoming a pilot, but that idea soon faded. A restaurant kitchen is where he felt most comfortable and most at home even — though the job of a chef can be tough.

“It’s not for everybody but it’s been a great journey for me. If you have a passion for it, that feeds your energy to get up and do it again every day with all the gusto you need to make it work well,” said Anile. “I have always enjoyed the camaraderie and esprit de corps of the business. Part art and part science and military, it has so many aspects that literally and figuratively keep you fed.”

Down One Bourbon Bar Executive Chef Jim Anile stands on the steps that lead down from the street to the eater on 321 W. Main Street.
September 20, 2018(Photo: David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal)

His team has become like family to him. They hunt, fish and kayak together. And they take turns cooking in each other’s homes. On any given night, some will cook and some won’t have to participate in the cooking; all they need to do is eat. It’s an arrangement that produces dinners that reflect their global culinary interests. Indian and Italian dishes are some of their favorites.

Cooking together in their off time is simply an extension of what they love to do for a living.

“But, for us, cooking isn’t a job. It’s a lifestyle. We just happen to be fortunate enough to get paid to do it,” he said.

Onion Guacamole

Serves 6 to 8

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The Down One Bourbon Bar's grilled onion guacamole is made with fresh avocados, grilled onions, jalape–o peppers, cilantro and lime and served with taco chips.
September 20, 2018(Photo: David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal)

1 jalapeño, roasted on high heat, chopped

1 garlic clove, roasted on high heat and chopped

1 medium red onion, sliced and roasted on high heat

6 avocados, halved and seeded

Juice of 2 limes

Kosher salt to taste

2 ounces cilantro, chopped

In a large bowl, mix together the jalapeño, garlic and onion. Add the remaining ingredients and smash with a whisk until the desired chunkiness is achieved. Serve immediately so that the guacamole does not oxidize and turn brown.

Brisket Chili

Serves 8

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The Down One Bourbon Bar's brisket chili is made with smoked brisket, onions, beer, ground beef, black beans and spices, and topped with grated cheddar and chopped onions.
September 20, 2018(Photo: David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal)

5 pounds ground beef

2 ounces chili powder

1 ounce paprika

1 ounce cumin

½ ounce coriander

½ ounce mace

¼ ounce cayenne pepper

2 yellow onions, diced

3 ounces garlic, chopped

5 pounds cooked beef brisket, diced

3 ounces tomato paste

1 pint beer

16 ounces tomatoes, diced

2 16-ounce cans black beans

Salt

In a large pot, brown the ground beef and add the dried spices. Add onions and sauté. Add diced beef brisket and stir. Add tomato paste, beer, diced tomatoes and beans. Cover and simmer on low heat for two hours. Season with desired salt. Continue to cook on low heat for 20 minutes.

Bread Pudding

Serves 6 to 8

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The Down One Bourbon Bar's chocolate brioche bread pudding is made with brioche bread, eggs, cream, sugar, butter and chocolate and served with chocolate shavings and powdered sugar.
September 20, 2018(Photo: David R. Lutman/Special to Courier Journal)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, cinnamon, bourbon, two-thirds of the sugar and the vanilla. Toss the brioche cubes and chocolate chunks into the custard mixture. Butter a baking dish. Place mixture in the dish. Layer the sliced butter over the top of the bread pudding. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 38 minutes.